As much as we pride ourselves on making goodies that really and truly help cats, we've always believed the real heroes at the cat moms and cat dads who care so much about their kitties, they'll do anything to keep them healthy!
So...
We decided to interview a few them and hear their story!
And today, we're talking to Ashleigh! Ashleigh is mama to 3 adorable kitties (Chaucer, Immy & Duncan), who not only are super adorable... but also are Instagram famous.
(pssst... if you want to follow the lives of three bouncy, bubbly and downright photogenic kitties head over to their instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/chaucerandimmy/_
Anyway, lets get to the interview!
Hi there Ashley, thank you so much for taking part in our ‘Cat Parents Who Care’ series - tell us a little bit about about you! (we'll get to Chaucer, Immy & Duncan later)
I grew up in California and Maui, Hawai’i, and I’ve lived in a few other places: Arizona, London, Wisconsin, New Mexico.
I’ve traveled a lot. Eventually, I had to get a job, so I decided to go to medical school. I’m an anesthesiologist in New Mexico right now. I have had cats my whole life.
Now we've seen Chaucer & Immy living their best lives over on Instagram, and they really are the coolest cats, so tell us a little more about how they became a part of your family?
My 4th year of medical school I decided I wanted to have cats of my own, so I went to a humane society near Milwaukee, Wisconsin looking for a black cat – I love black cats, we always had at least one when I was growing up.
Chaucer and Immy came together as a bonded pair (4.5 months old), so I adopted them because of Immy. Chaucer was a bonus. I hadn’t had a black and white cat since I was 3-4 years old.
You also have Duncan too, how did he become part of your little family?
A friend posted a “free kitten” found outside his store on Maui one morning and said if no one took him, they’d take him to the humane society.
I knew if they did that, they’d put him down because he looked so sick. So I messaged my friend to say I’d be there after work (on a Saturday).
I commiserated with the kitten because I was also super sick and felt as awful as he looked.
How did you come up with the cat’s names, is there any significance to them or did you just love the names?
I took a Shakespeare class for fun in university and read Cymbeline. The main character is the princess Imogen who takes a few naps during the play. That seemed like a great name for a girl cat.
I needed another good name for a boy cat, so I went through my books at home, and after a few days, Chaucer seemed like a good fit. He was called “Little Boy Cat” for the first few days.”
Since Chaucer and Immy had literary names, Duncan needed one too. I like the play Macbeth, and Duncan seemed like a good name for him.
Tell us more about their personalities, what do they like and dislike?
Chaucer likes all the attention. If he sees someone petting or playing with another cat, he’ll come up and demand attention. He is a goofball and loves belly rubs, catnip, and all treats.
Immy is a princess and I’m her person. Sometimes she’ll ask for attention from someone else, but usually she likes to be close to me. She’ll hang out by herself, and when she plays, she throws a toy in the air then chases it. She also loves catnip.
Duncan immediately made Chaucer his best friend. He likes to torment Immy, but it’s for fun. Immy doesn’t like it. Duncan loves to play and demands that you play with him. He’s afraid of new people. My friends call him the “ghost cat” since he’s white and runs when they come in.
Do you have any funny stories about them?
There are so many. Most of them go onto Instagram when they happen. (Editors note: which you can check out here: https://www.instagram.com/chaucerandimmy/)
One of my favorites was Duncan vs the Wildcat when I couldn’t find Duncan because he wouldn’t come to breakfast.
So I went around the house looking for him. I opened up the curtain in my bedroom and saw him staring out the window.
I wondered what kind of bird he’d be looking at, and when I looked to see what he was staring at, it was a wildcat sitting on the wall right outside my bedroom staring back at Duncan.
I kept wondering what they were thinking. Like, “this looks yummy.” Or, “He kinda looks like me.” Duncan was agitated at the whole experience, and the wildcat slept in the enclosed garden all day.
It was a gorgeous animal.
What are your favourite things about each of the cats?
How different they are. Chaucer is a cuddlebug and loves to be near me. He would rather have attention than have his photo taken (which ruins a bunch of would be great photos). He also comes when I call his name.
Immy quietly demands attention by pawing, but she’ll curl up next to me. She’ll flop over from standing to being on her side of the floor when she gets attention.
Duncan’s insistence on playing keeps him active which is entertaining and good for him! But when he’s sleeping in the sunroom, if I walk into the room, he gets up from his nap to greet me.
Do they have any annoying habits?
The worst is that Chaucer and Immy pee and poop when I put them in cages to go to the vet. Or when they get scared and think they’re going to the vet. Or once when there was thunder, Chaucer peed himself on the floor when it scared him.
Chaucer also likes to be fed at exactly 5:00AM, so I never get to sleep in. If I try, he jumps on my hair then my bladder, and he’s not light.
They also like to close doors. I have to keep slippers (flip-flops) in open doors, so they don’t lock themselves in rooms).
Is there anything about the three cats that your followers don’t already know.
I can’t hold them. I miss being able to hold my cats, but Chaucer and Immy don’t tolerate being held. Duncan puts up with it, but it’s not his favorite.
If you were granted the ability to talk to cats for a day - what would you ask them?
I’d really want to know what their life was like before I adopted/found them. Chaucer and Immy were SO scared of other people for so long, and it took them a while to trust me.
Chaucer will still cower occasionally when someone goes in to pet his head a certain way. It’s weird. I hope nothing happened before I got them.
Duncan must’ve had an interesting life. He was no where near his mum; he was about 8 weeks old when he was found hanging out by a store. He was a Maui Kitty, so he was born in the fall on Maui, when the weather is usually pretty wet.
Duncan is scared of a lot of new people despite being raised around more people and animals than Chaucer and Immy were. I would’ve assumed he’d be the more social, but Chaucer is. But maybe Chaucer is just looking for treats.
Okay, So how did you hear about Scruffy Paws Nutrition?
Anuj at Scruffy Paws messaged me on Instagram to see what I thought about it. I researched it, and after having a few family cats with CKD, it looked like it could help and wouldn’t hurt, so I decided to give it a try.
You have the Kidney Vitalize Chews, how do they like them?
Chaucer and Immy love them. Duncan hasn’t tried them, but he only likes Temptations treats; he won’t eat any others.
Have they helped with any existing issues or are you using them for prevention?
I hope they’re quietly working to prevent CKD.
And one last question...
What is the most rewarding thing about being a cat parent?
The enjoyment. I come home to 3 kitties who run up to me, sure maybe it’s because they want food, but then I sit down, and they all follow me to the living room. They show their affection in different ways. And they don’t (usually) talk back. =)
Thank you for taking part in our interview Ashley!
What can we say? A cat parent and a medical whiz... Chaucer, Immy and Duncan are kinda cute too ;)
If you want to follow the adventures of Chaucer, Immy and Duncan as they prowl about through life, make sure to follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaucerandimmy/
